Notes for: Mary Ernestine ("Mathilda") Bodine
Her obituary is in the Iona Journal from around March 8, 1915 or shortly afterwards. She is listed as "Mrs R. J. McDonald." It says she died on Monday, March 8, 1915. She was born in Vigo Co., IN on July 5, 1843. She came with her parents to Austin, MN in 1859. She was married at Austin to Robert J. McDonald in 1873 where they lived until 1880 when they moved to Murray Co., MN. She was 72 years old. She is survived by her seven children: Lydia of Spokane, WA; Frank J. of Mott, ND; Clara of St Paul, MN; Ora and Beth of Hamill (sp?), SD; Mrs C. Christenson; and Harry L. our city (Iona?). Also four brothers and three sisters survived her. The funeral was Wednesday at 10 o'clock from St. Columba's Church. Internment was at St. Columba's Cemetery.
Note on the above: From the above at least two of her children must have died before 1915. One was Helen and the other must have been James Frederick; although, some say he died in 1954. That must be wrong.
The following seem to be the names of Robert and Mathilda McDonald's own children. I have edited some of this information from Don Lawse, Duffy Jensen (many of the dates), and Ronny Bodine:
Francis (Frank) Joseph.: Jun 14, 1874 - Sep. 4, 1925 (Buried in St. Columba Cemetery, Iona, MN. Says he died in Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN). His wife is there, too. He married her, (Mary) Louisa Disch, on July 29, 1901 at St. Columba Catholic Church in Iona. They were living in Chander. Her father was J. B. Disch.
Louise Flora (Ora) G.: Feb 3, 1875 - 1951. It looks like she did not marry since in 1933, she was call "Miss Ora McDonald."
Maria Clarisa (Clara): Sep 7, 1876 - 1957. I'm guessing she is the "Mrs. W. Cullen" who visited her brother L. H. McDonald in Iona.
Mary Elizabeth (Beth): Mar 26, 1878 - aft 1915
Helen Agnatern (Agnes, Ella): Aug 26, 1879 - bef 1900
Leo Henry (Harry): Aug 30, 1881 - Oct 21, 1940. In 1933, it looks like he was living with his family in Iona.
The following dates come from Duffy Jensen who has done a lot of work on this family:
R.J. and Mary Elizabeth Bodine -
Mary Jane (1862-1951)
Lydia (1865-1940)
James F(rederick) (1867-1954)
R.J. and Mathilda Bodine -
Francis Joseph (1874-1925)
Louise Ora (1875-1951)
Marie Clarissa (1876-1957)
Mary E. (1878- )
Ella A. (1879- )
Leo Harry (1881-1940)
From: Duffy Jensen [Duffy at sgcalaska.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2016
Subject: Mathilda "Mary Ernestine" Bodine b.1843 - d.1915
Hello,
I have been researching my maternal lines which include Bodines. My 2x great grandparents were Robert John McDonald and Ernestine Bodine. Today I located the 1873 marriage record of Robert J. McDonald and Mathilda Bodine (see attached). This confirms my suspicion that Mathilda and Mary Ernestine are one and the same person.
The name Mathilda first appears in the 1850 census data for the James M. and Mary Louisa "Polly" Bodine family. Mathilda continues to appear through her marriage date of 27 Apr 1873, from that point forward she goes by Ernestine or Mary. Her 1915 death certificate records her name as Mary Ernestine (Eruestiue). It may be that her full name was Mathilda Mary Ernestine. This is consistent with her siblings Anastasia LMV and James Madison Lafayette.
On a related topic, you have suggested that Robert J. McDonald was first married to Mary Elizabeth Bodine b. 1837 - d. 27 Apr 1873. While I have not been able to locate any direct evidence of this, the 1865 Territorial Census, Austin, Mower Co., MN - Pg 7/77 lists the household of Robert McDonald, ME, MJ, LA which could be read as Mary Elizabeth, Mary Jane b.1862, and Lydia b.1865. If this is interpretation is correct, that would make Mary Elizabeth's death before 27 Apr 1873, the marriage date for R J and Ernestine.
Duffy Jensen
(907) 344-0022 Office
(907) 223-3927 Cell
Duffy at SGCAlaska.com
I have some more notes on this family under Mathilda's sister Mary Elizabeth Bodine since Mary Elizabeth appears to have been Robert's first wife. Ronny mentions much of that below in his notes.
From Ronny Bodine (Nov. 21, 2016):
Mary Elizabeth Bodine was baptized 21 Feb 1838 at St. Mary of the Woods Church, Vigo County, Indiana.
U.S. Civil War Draft Registrations, June 1863.
Austin, Mower County, Minnesota: Robert McDONALD, 26, farmer, born in England, married.
History of Mower County, Minnesota, 1884, p. 260.
Robert McDonald served as Assessor for the city of Austin in 1877.
From the following censuses, both federal and state, it is apparant that Robert J. McDonald was married twice. His 1st wife is recorded only by her initials, M. E., from the 1865 Minnesota state census where no ages were recorded. M.E. was Mary Elizabeth Bodine who bore 3 children and died by July 1870 when Robert is found living with members of the Bodine family in Mower County and his 3 children were taken in by the family of George Norton living in Freeborn County. In 1873 he married Mathilda Bodine who is also noted as M. E. Bodine in the same record. Other records note her as Earnestine so one must assume she bore the name Mary Earnestine Mathilda Bodine or another combination of the names. The 1880 census includes his children from his 1st marriage: Mary J. c1864, Lotte (aka Lydia aka Lilly) c1865 and James Fred[erick] c1867. The censuses for 1875, 1880, 1885 and 1900 list the children of Robert and Mary Earnestine as: Francis J. c1874, Ora Louise c1875, Maria Clara Sept 1876, Mary E. (aka Beth) March 1878, Ella H. 1879 and Harry Aug 1881. The 1900 census noted that in 23 years of marriage, Mary had borne 6 children of whom 5 were then living. The child who died was Ella, alive in 1885, but not living in 1900.
1865 Austin, Mower Co., MN: Robert McDONALD, M. E. (f), M. J. (m), L. A. (f).
1870 Austin, Mower Co., MN: Merritt Graves 33 MA boot maker, Jane J. 26 IL, Laura B. 5 MN, Mary M. 3 MN, Eveline 4/12 (Feb) MN, Mathilda BODINE 26 IL school teacher, Robt. McDonald 35 England laborer. [Note: Jane and Mathilda are sisters.]
From Mower County, Minnesota Marriage Records:
R. J. McDonald AND Mathilda Bodine, both of Mower, were married 27 April 1873 by C. Ennis, Catholic Priest, in the presence of Maria Bodine and Mera Graves. [Note: She is called both M. E. Bodine and Mathilda Bodine within the record.]
1875 (1 June) Mower Co., MN: R. J. McDONALD 39 ENG, Ernestina 32 IN, Mary J. 10 MN, Lotte 9 MN, James 8 MN, L.A. 1 MN, Lucy BODINE 15 MN.
1880 Austin, Mower Co., MN: Robert J. McDONALD 43 Eng well digger, Earnestine 36 IN wife, Mary J. 16 MN dau, Lydia 15 MN dau, James F. 13 MN son, Francis J. 6 MN son, Louise G. 5 MN dau, Maria C. 4 MN dau, Mary E. 2 MN dau, Ella H. 10/12 MN dau.
1885 (May) Nobles Co., MN: R. J. McDONALD 49 Eng, Ernestine 42 IL, Mary 21 MN, Lilly 20 MN, Fred 18 MN, Francis J. 11 MN, Louise 10 MN, Maria C. 8 MN, L. (f) 7 MN, Harry 3 MN.
1895: Unable to locate on census.
1900 Iona, Murray Co.., MN: Robt. J. McDONALD Aug 1836 Eng farmer, Mary E. July 1833 IL wife, Ora L. Feb 1875 MN dau, Clara Sept 1876 MN dau, Beth March 1878 MN dau, Harry Aug 1881 MN son. Married 27 years, 6 children born/5 living. Mary's parents were born in Illinois (father) & Kentucky (mother).
1905 Iona, Murray Co., MN: Robert J. McDONALD 68 Eng farmer, Mrs. Mary E. 61 IL, Ora 30 MN, Clara 38 MN teacher, Elizabeth 26 MN teacher, Harry 23 MN engineer.
1910 Bowman, Bowman Co., ND: Mary E. McDONALD 67 IL lived with her son Frank J. McDonald 36 and his family. Mary's father was born in Illinois and her mother in Kentucky.
Minnesota Death Records:
Robert J. McDonald died 20 Dec 1906 in Murray County aged 70. Born in Scotland.
Mary Eruestuie [sic] McDonald died 8 March 1915 in Murray County.